Abstract
The introduction of Levallois technology in Europe marked the transition from the Lower to the early Middle Paleolithic. This new method of flake production was accompanied by significant behavioral changes in hominin populations. The emergence of this technological advance is considered homogeneous in the European archaeological record at the Marine isotopic stage (MIS) 9/MIS 8 boundary. In this paper we report a series of combined electron spin resonance/U-series dates on mammal bones and teeth recovered from the lower units of San Bernardino Cave (Italy) and the technological analyses of the lithic assemblages. The San Bernardino Cave has yielded the earliest evidence of Levallois production on the Italian Peninsula recovered to date. In addition to our results and the review of the archaeological record, we describe the chronological and geographical differences between European territories and diversities in terms of technological developments. The belated emergence of Levallois technology in Italy compared to western Europe corresponds to the late Italian Neanderthal speciation event. The new radiometric dates and the technological analyses of San Bernardino Cave raise the issue of the different roles of glacial refugia in the peopling and the spread of innovative flaking strategies in Europe during the late Middle Pleistocene.
Highlights
IntroductionBesides Acheulean industries with handaxes, the lithic assemblages without handaxes have been categorized as Clactonian [4,5,6,7] or Tayacian [8,9,10,11,12] for the association respectively with large notching-tools or Tayac points (convergent denticulates)
The introduction of the Levallois method in Europe is considered the technological innovation that marked the beginning of the Middle Paleolithic
The new radiometric chronology of the lower units of San Bernardino Cave indicates that the introduction of the Levallois method in Europe occurred by means of diverse geographical patterns
Summary
Besides Acheulean industries with handaxes, the lithic assemblages without handaxes have been categorized as Clactonian [4,5,6,7] or Tayacian [8,9,10,11,12] for the association respectively with large notching-tools or Tayac points (convergent denticulates) This typological discrimination has been abandoned after the technological analysis of some lithic series that highlighted the similarities in the flaking strategies between the Acheulean and the Clactonian [13,14]. The production of Tayacian and Quinson points was inferred as part of the Acheulean toolkit and no more as fossile directeur In this panorama the introduction of Levallois was interpreted as an internal development of the Acheulean and named as Acheulean tardif orevoluees [17]. This definition understated the variability of the lithic collections in this chronological interval, in which Acheulean industries with/ without handaxes coexisted with Pre-Mousterian industries characterized by a proper use of the Levallois technology [18,19]
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